Methods to obtain a biological sample representative of a passenger cabin on an aircraft automatically from the collector device

ABSTRACT

A system for monitoring aircraft air including a collector for collecting particulate samples positioned within at least one of an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of an environmental control system of an aircraft, wherein the collector is accessible to a user within the cabin of the aircraft.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The following application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplications with the following Ser. Nos. 63/114,330, 63/114,339,63/114,350, 63/114,400, 63,114,064, 63/114,157, 63/114,386, 63/114,366all filed on Nov. 16, 2020; and Patent Application Ser. No. 63/043,414filed on Jun. 24, 2020 the contents of which are herein incorporated byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present application is related to a system and method used collect arepresentative air sample of an aircraft, more specifically to a methodand systems for collecting a biological sample from within the aircraft.

2. Description of Related Art

The spread progression of SARS-CoV-2 around the world has risen a redflag: Economic economic globalization creates systemic risks. As trade,finance, travel, cyber and other networks grow in scale and interact,they become more complex and unstable. The transporters of the goods ofthe global economy, such as major airport hubs, are also spreaders ofthe pathogens. The 2008 global financial crisis provided a dramaticexample of how contagions could spread from the US to global marketsovernight. So too has the rapid spread of cyber viruses. In health,rising life expectancy and success in preventing a repeat of thedevastating influenza pandemic of 1918, which infected about one-thirdof the world's population and killed as many as 50 m people, has createda false sense of security. But the world is now more interdependent. Forexample, China represents almost one-fifth of global output, is integralto global supply chains, and its tourists spend over $260 billionannually. The CovidCOVID-19CoVID-19 pandemic shed light on the need forbetter monitoring, detecting, and isolating ill passengers, specificallydue to the havoc that was wreaked detrimental impact on the globaleconomy, specifically air travel due to closed borders, movementrestrictions, and testing requirements.

However, the COVIDCoVID-19 pandemic the air travel industry has proventhat air travel can be safe and that aircraft cabins have a well-managedairflow that inhibits minimize the risk for transmission of virus, andthat being seated onboard an aircraft is safer than shopping in largestores. Governments and other authorities need to assume that aircraftare contaminated until proven “clean”, as 25% of COVID-19 cases areasymptomatic or pre-symptomatic; but still contagious. Thus, if bordersshutdown and a drastic reduction in international travel globalpassenger travel is greatly reduced. To date travelers and governmentshave relied on individual diagnostic tests. The uncertainty of theresults has reduced people's inclination to travel and subsequentairline inclination to maintain routes.

Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for virus and pathogendetection systems and methods. The present disclosure provides asolution for providing a test and analyzing a test aboard an aircraft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system for monitoring aircraft air is disclosed. The system includes acollector for collecting particulate samples positioned within at leastone of an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of anenvironmental control system of an aircraft, wherein the collector isaccessible to a user within the cabin of the aircraft. The collector isout of line of sight view of cabin crew while in a collecting position.The collector becomes accessible by a lift, an access gate, or a rollerto the user within the cabin of the aircraft. The particulate samplesinclude droplets exhaled from passengers throughout a duration of aflight. The collector can include a filter material. The collector caninclude an adaptor and a filter material operatively connected to theadaptor. The adapter can include a frame and the filter material ismounted to the frame. It is also considered that the collector can beportable within the cabin of the aircraft.

The system can also include a mounting slot in the outlet flow pathupstream from the outflow valve, wherein the collector is positionedwithin the mounting slot. The collector can be configured and adapted tobe removed from the mounting slot for testing by using a lift or roller.

A method of collecting particulates from aircraft air is also disclosed.The method includes capturing particulates in an outlet flow path with acollector for a period of time, wherein capturing particulates isunaided by a pump in order to move the air to the collector, removingthe collector from at least one of the outlet flow path or therecirculation flow path for testing, inserting a clean collector into atleast one of the outlet flow path or the recirculation flow path for useduring another period of time. The recirculation flow path can be basedon inherent pressure differences within the aircraft cabin, galleys, andcargo bay. The method can include doing a Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) test on at least one particulate captured in the collector, andrelaying a result of the PCR test to a central data center, wherein theperiod of time is a duration of a flight, and wherein the PCR test isdone on-board an aircraft after the duration of the flight to determineif the aircraft is virus free upon arrival. The collector can include anadaptor and a filter material operatively connected to the adaptor, themethod further comprising removing the filter material from the adaptor.The adapter can be cleaned using a solution containing isopropylalcohol.

These and other features of the systems and methods of the subjectdisclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the artfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodimentstaken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosureappertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices andmethods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation,preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein belowwith reference to certain figures, wherein:

FIGS. 1a and 1b show an embodiment of a system for monitoring aircraftair constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing aroller or lift placement to bring the collector to the users.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like referencenumerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subjectdisclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and notlimitation, a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a systemmonitoring aircraft air in accordance with the disclosure showing acollector within a cabin of an aircraft is shown in FIGS. 1a and lb andis designated generally by reference character 100. The systems andmethods described herein can be used to provide access to air monitorsthat are located within the cargo bay. The embodiments of the system formonitoring aircraft air of the present disclosure provide a means fortesting air in any enclosed space such as inside an aircraft, and allowsfor the detection of a virus or other contaminant.

As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b , a system 100 for monitoring aircraft airis disclosed. The system 100 includes a collector 102 for collectingparticulate samples positioned within at least one of an outlet flowpath 104 or a recirculation flow path of an environmental control systemof an aircraft. The collector 102 is accessible to a user within thecabin of the aircraft, but is out of line of sight view of cabin crewwhile in a collecting position. The collector 102 becomes accessible andvisible by a lift, an access gate, or a roller to the user within thecabin of the aircraft, for example, through a trap door 106 on the floorof the galley area that would give access to a receiving box with thesample. Different systems can be used for that transport ranging from atraditional mechanical belt, a vacuum powered transport pipe or amagnetic sling to bring the sample from below the floor to the testingarea.

The particulate samples include droplets exhaled from passengersthroughout a duration of a flight. The collector 102 includes a filtermaterial which can be scrubbed to remove the collected samples from thecollector, alternatively the collector can be removed and replaced by aclean collector prior to the next flight. The collector can include anadaptor and a filter material operatively connected to the adaptor. Theadapter can include a frame and the filter material is mounted to theframe.

The system can also include a mounting slot in the outlet flow pathupstream from the outflow valve, wherein the collector is positionedwithin the mounting slot. The collector 102 can be configured andadapted to be removed from the mounting slot for testing by using a liftor roller.

A method of collecting particulates from aircraft air is also disclosed.The method includes capturing particulates in an outlet flow path with acollector for a period of time, wherein capturing particulates isunaided by a pump in order to move the air to the collector, removingthe collector from at least one of the outlet flow path or therecirculation flow path for testing, inserting a clean collector into atleast one of the outlet flow path or the recirculation flow path for useduring another period of time, wherein the collector is located belowthe cabin area of the aircraft and is brought up via a hatch or rollersat the conclusion of the flight by the cabin crew or other specialtypersonnel for testing and replacement. The recirculation flow path canbe based on inherent pressure differences within the aircraft cabin,galleys, and cargo bay.

The method can include doing a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test onat least one particulate captured in the collector, and relaying aresult of the PCR test to a central data center, wherein the period oftime is a duration of a flight, and wherein the PCR test is doneon-board an aircraft after the duration of the flight to determine ifthe aircraft is virus free upon arrival. The collector can include anadaptor and a filter material operatively connected to the adaptor, themethod further comprising removing the filter material from the adaptor.The adapter can be cleaned using isopropyl alcohol.

The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described aboveand shown in the drawings, provide for a method of operating, using, andreplacing a sample collector for testing the air quality and pathogenpresence on an aircraft. While the apparatus and methods of the subjectdisclosure have been shown and described with reference to preferredembodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatchanges and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing fromthe scope of the subject disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for monitoring aircraft air comprising:a collector for collecting particulate samples positioned within atleast one of an outlet flow path or a recirculation flow path of anenvironmental control system of an aircraft , wherein the collector isaccessible to a user within the cabin of the aircraft.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the collector is out of line of sight view of cabincrew while in a collecting position. The system of claim 1, wherein thecollector is accessible by a lift, an access gate, or a roller to theuser within the cabin of the aircraft.
 3. The system of claim 1, whereinthe particulate samples include droplets exhaled from passengersthroughout a duration of a flight.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein thecollector includes a filter material.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinthe collector includes an adaptor and a filter material operativelyconnected to the adaptor.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the adapteris a frame and the filter material is mounted to the frame.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising a mounting slot in the outlet flowpath upstream from the outflow valve, wherein the collector ispositioned within the mounting slot.
 8. The system as recited in claim1, wherein the collector is configured and adapted to be removed fromthe mounting slot for testing.
 9. A method for collecting particulatesfrom aircraft air comprising: capturing particulates in an outlet flowpath with a collector for a period of time, wherein capturingparticulates is unaided by a pump in order to move the air to thecollector; removing the collector from at least one of the outlet flowpath or the recirculation flow path for testing; and inserting a cleancollector into at least one of the outlet flow path or the recirculationflow path for use during another period of time.
 10. The method of claim9, wherein the recirculation flow path is based on inherent pressuredifferences within the aircraft cabin, galleys, and cargo bay.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising conducting a Polymerase ChainReaction (PCR) test on at least one particulate captured in thecollector.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising relaying aresult of the PCR test to a central data center.
 14. The method of claim12, wherein the period of time is a duration of a flight, and whereinthe PCR test is done on-board an aircraft after the duration of theflight to determine if the aircraft is virus free upon arrival.
 15. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the collector includes an adaptor and afilter material operatively connected to the adaptor, the method furthercomprising removing the filter material from the adaptor.
 16. The methodof claim 15, further comprising cleaning the adapter in isopropylalcohol.